Boat Netting System

ABSTRACT

A boat netting system has a boat net that is particularly shaped to fit a boat in order to facilitate securement of cargo or other contents on the boat during storage or transit. The boat netting system may further enhance integrity and security of an existing boat cover by being placed over the existing boat cover. A net perimeter of the boat net is coextensive with a gunwale of the boat, and a plurality of fastening elements distributed about the net perimeter may be removably attached to the gunwale.

The current application claims a priority to the U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 62/688,523 filed on Jun. 22, 2018. The current application is filed on Jun. 24, 2019, whereas Jun. 22, 2019 and Jun. 23, 2019 were on a weekend.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to watercraft. More particularly, the present invention relates to securing cargo on a watercraft.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Currently, boat cargo is secured with ill-fitting cargo nets, tie-downs, webbing, occlusive covers, or straps or a combination of the aforementioned. These current market offerings allow contents to escape due to ill-fitment or create an environment for mold and mildew growth by securing contents within an occlusive cover. The proposed invention seeks to remedy the dilemma of boat content security and/or mold and mildew control. The proposed invention can also be used to add a layer of integrity and security to current boat covers of all types.

The present invention is a boat net that is shaped particularly like a boat and can be customized to fit almost any boat. The present invention comprises a custom shaped net and attachment hardware. The attachment hardware is what secures the net to the boat. A variety of fasteners can be used, including hooks, clips, and ties. The net itself can be made from straps, netting, webbing, bungee, or any combination of them. This allows for more secure attachment as well as a custom fit currently not available.

Many boaters need to dry the inside of their boats and contents after use, but many boaters lose contents in transit due to wind and elements as many boat covers are not suitable to highway/high speeds. This creates mold and mildew issues as well as loss of contents and litter. The present invention is made with materials that are stable in outdoor/marine use. The present invention fills a currently vacant and important niche in the market by also allowing the present invention to be used alone to secure and dry contents during storage or transit or can be placed over existing covers, giving the cover a great deal more integrity during storage or transit.

Additional advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Additional advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the detailed description of the invention section. Further benefits and advantages of the embodiments of the invention will become apparent from consideration of the following detailed description given with reference to the accompanying drawings, which specify and show preferred embodiments of the present invention

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view illustrating the boat net of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view illustrating the boat net of the present invention attached onto a boat.

DETAIL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION

All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The present invention is to be described in detail and is provided in a manner that establishes a thorough understanding of the present invention. There may be aspects of the present invention that may be practiced or utilized without the implementation of some features as they are described. It should be understood that some details have not been described in detail in order to not unnecessarily obscure focus of the invention. References herein to “the preferred embodiment”, “one embodiment”, “some embodiments”, or “alternative embodiments” should be considered to be illustrating aspects of the present invention that may potentially vary in some instances, and should not be considered to be limiting to the scope of the present invention as a whole.

The present invention is a netting system for boats. More particularly, the present invention is a net for boats that is shaped to conform to the profile of a boat, and which can be customized to fit almost any boat or similar watercraft. The present invention is primarily concerned with securing cargo stored within the boat while the boat is being towed on a trailer at highway speed but should not be limited to said application.

The present invention may be understood to be applicable to unpowered boats such as rowboats, or engine-powered boats. Many different types of boats exist to which the present invention may be applicable, such as, but not limited to: fishing boats, dinghy boats, deck boats, bowrider boats, catamaran boats, cuddy cabin boats, center console boats, runabout boats, watersport boats, skiff boats, jet boats, and the like. Aquatic vessels with very tall elements such as sails, masts or large center consoles, or larger boats such as yachts may not necessarily be included in the present invention due to the impractical nature of covering the entire vessel with a net but are not necessarily excluded either.

Referring to FIGS. 1-2, in general, the system of the present invention comprises a boat net 1, a boat 2, and a plurality of fastening elements 3. It should be noted that the boat 2 is included in the present disclosure in order to adequately define the boat net 1.

As is typical of boats, the boat 2 in the present disclosure comprises a hull 20 and a gunwale 21, such that the gunwale 21 of the boat 2 is perimetrically and terminally connected to the hull 20. The gunwale 21 is the upper edge of the hull 20 and is used herein to define the lateral extent of the boat 2, and thus the extent of the boat net 1. Looking down at the boat 2 from above, the gunwale 21 corresponds to the outermost edges, or profile, of the boat 2. The present invention intends to present the boat net 1 as shaped to correspond to the profile of the boat 2.

The boat net 1 of the present invention comprises a net body 10 and a net perimeter 13. The net perimeter 13 may be understood to be a continuous (or non-continuous in some embodiments, if applicable and/or desired) line forming the outer boundary of the boat net 1. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the net perimeter 13 of the boat net 1 is coextensive with the gunwale 21 of the boat 2. Thus, in the preferred embodiment, the boat net 1 extends to the outer boundaries, or profile, of the boat 2. In other embodiments, however, the boat net 1 may extend to other boundaries within the outer profile of the boat 2. For example, in some embodiments, the boat net 1 may extend to cover only a deck area of the boat 2, wherein the deck area is essentially any exposed, interior surface of the boat 2 that users may occupy or where items may be securely placed.

In the preferred embodiment, the plurality of fastening elements 3 is distributed about the net perimeter 13 of the boat net 1 and may be removably attached to the gunwale 21 of the boat 2. The plurality of fastening elements 3 may vary in different embodiments by number, distribution spread about the net perimeter 13, and attachment means. In various embodiments, one or more of the plurality of fastening elements 3 may be configured to be attached to elements of the boat 2 other than the gunwale 21, such as, but not limited to: cleats, rails, or other applicable fastening points on the boat 2. The specific nature of the plurality of fastening elements 3 may vary in different embodiments. For example, in some embodiments, each of the plurality of fastening elements 3 is a hook fastener. In some embodiments, each of the plurality of fastening elements 3 is a clip fastener. In some embodiments, each of the plurality of fastening elements 3 is a tie-down strap. In some embodiments, each of the plurality of fastening elements 3 is a length of cord, rope, string, twine, or similar elements. In some embodiments, the plurality of fastening elements 3 may comprise multiple types of the aforementioned embodiments of fastening elements 3.

The boat net 1 may be constructed in any known manner of constructing nets sufficient to constrain objects or cargo within the deck area or other relevant areas of the boat 2 during highway transit or similar situations. The net body 10 comprises a plurality of netting members 11 that are interwoven with each other in order to form a plurality of intersection points 12, such that the plurality of intersection points 12 is distributed about the net body 10. The plurality of intersection points 12 should generally be distributed equally about the net body 10. The boat net 1 is formed by fusing, looping or knotting the netting members 11 together, resulting in a textile with open spaces between the netting members 11. The plurality of netting members 11 may be constructed from any relevant material, such as, but not limited to, rubber, nylon, monofilament thread, multifilament thread, rope, string, cord, cotton, wool, silk, or any other applicable material. In some embodiments, the plurality of netting members 11 may be constructed from an elastic material, so that the boat net 1 is able to be stretched to apply tension to the plurality of fastening elements 3 in order to securely attach the boat net 1 to the boat 2. The spaces between netting members 11 may vary in different embodiments and should not be a limiting factor in the present invention. However, the spaces should be reasonably small enough to not permit cargo or other items to penetrate the boat net 1.

Typically, boats are laterally symmetrical about a longitudinal centerline 4, having a generally curvilinear, triangular profile extending from a wider stern to a point at the bow. Thus, to correspond to this profile, the net body 10 is also laterally symmetrical about a longitudinal centerline 4 in the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

More particularly, in the preferred embodiment, the boat net 1 further comprises a bow vertex 14, a starboard stern vertex 15, and a port stern vertex 16, as seen in FIG. 1. The bow vertex 14 is positioned longitudinally opposite the port stern vertex 16 and the starboard stern vertex 15 along the boat net 1. The bow vertex 14, the starboard stern vertex 15 and the port stern vertex 16 are positioned along the net perimeter 13.

Furthermore, the net perimeter 13 comprises a starboard perimeter section 17, a port perimeter section 18, and a stern perimeter section 19. The starboard perimeter section 17 is connected between the bow vertex 14 and the starboard stern vertex 15. The port perimeter section 18 is connected between the bow vertex 14 and the port stern vertex 16. The stern perimeter section 19 is connected between the port stern vertex 16 and the starboard stern vertex 15. Furthermore, the starboard perimeter section 17 and the port perimeter section 18 of the net perimeter 13 are laterally symmetric with each other about the longitudinal centerline 4, and the stern perimeter section 19 is bisected by the longitudinal centerline 4.

In view of the foregoing disclosure, the present invention presents a boat netting system wherein the net perimeter 13 of the boat net 1 corresponds to the profile of the boat 2, facilitating proper fitment of the boat net 1 over the boat 2 and enabling securement of contents on the boat 2 during storage or transit, and/or enhancing security of an existing boat cover.

Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A boat netting system comprises: a boat net; a boat; a plurality of fastening elements; the boat comprises a hull and a gunwale; the boat net comprises a net body and a net perimeter; the gunwale of the boat being perimetrically and terminally connected to the hull; the net perimeter of the boat net being coextensive with the gunwale of the boat; the plurality of fastening elements being distributed about the net perimeter of the boat net; and the plurality of fastening elements being removably attached to the gunwale of the boat.
 2. The boat netting system as claimed in claim 1 comprises: the net body being laterally symmetrical about a longitudinal centerline.
 3. The boat netting system as claimed in claim 1 comprises: the net body comprises a plurality of netting members; the netting members being interwoven with each other in order to form a plurality of intersection points; and the plurality of intersection points being distributed about the net body.
 4. The boat netting system as claimed in claim 1 comprises: the boat net further comprises a bow vertex, a starboard stern vertex, and a port stern vertex; the bow vertex being positioned longitudinally opposite the port stern vertex and the starboard stern vertex along the boat net; the net perimeter comprises a starboard perimeter section, a port perimeter section, and a stern perimeter section; the bow vertex, the starboard stern vertex and the port stern vertex being positioned along the net perimeter; the starboard perimeter section being connected between the bow vertex and the starboard stern vertex; the port perimeter section being connected between the bow vertex and the port stern vertex; and the stern perimeter section being connected between the port stern vertex and the starboard stern vertex.
 5. The boat netting system as claimed in claim 4 comprises: the starboard perimeter section and the port perimeter section of the net perimeter being laterally symmetric about a longitudinal centerline.
 6. The boat netting system as claimed in claim 1 comprises: each of the plurality of fastening elements being a hook fastener.
 7. The boat netting system as claimed in claim 1 comprises: each of the plurality of fastening elements being a clip fastener.
 8. The boat netting system as claimed in claim 1 comprises: each of the plurality of fastening elements being a tie-down strap.
 9. The boat netting system as claimed in claim 1 comprises: each of the plurality of fastening elements being a length of cord. 